Today is the 4th of July. As I awoke this morning my thoughts went to my grandparents who came to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs in order to make a better life for their children. What incredible bravery and devotion to family. They knew What Mattered?! to them and dared to take action to live accordingly.
While the USA is far from perfect, on this 4th of July I'm grateful for the risk that my grandparents took to come to America so that I could have the freedom and opportunities available to me. In the whirlwind of life in the modern age I often take my life situation (a.k.a., circumstances) for granted. Thanks to my elders I grew up well nourished, well educated and well loved. They taught me not only how to survive, but to thrive in this complex world.
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The other day I came across this quote on a friend's FaceBook page that is attributed to Jon Sinclair: “failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.” It totally resonated with me and got me wondering about how much of what holds us back from trying things is the fear of failing? I’m sure I could write a book about the power of fear (oops, already been done) and how it can cripple people.
My question is this: who are we afraid of seeing us fail? Other people? Ourselves? By the way, I don't have an answer to this question (remember our website is a question "ask what matters ?"). Is the fear of public embarrassment greater than internalized shame? Damn, where DID I put Brene Brown’s cell number? She’s great and I’m sure she could help me with this qu Read More→

This morning in my daily “reach in” (a practice in the What Matters?! Framework (http://askwhatmatters.com/approach)), I came across the following quotation from author, John Irving: “If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.” Having been fortunate enough in the past year to find a way of life that I truly love, I felt compelled to share Irving's wisdom in hopes of encouraging people who may not be loving their lives to open themselves up to all possible lifestyle choices.
If your life isn't working for you, you owe it to yourself to explore alternative ways of living. Only by taking action to try something new will you create the conditions to even have the possibility of being “lucky enough to Read More→

About Us

Ask What Matters?! provides tools and resources to gain clarity, reduce stress, and increase overall well-being. At its heart is a set of five practices and mindset that help people engage in regular self-reflection, have open and courageous conversations, explore previously invisible options, and dare to make powerful, life-affirming choices.